Waitrose and Shell have set out ambitious plans to grow their partnership, installing hundreds of electric vehicle charging points in the supermarket’s car parks and more than doubling the number of Shell forecourt shops where Waitrose food is available.
The companies have announced that they are targeting the installation of 800 Shell Recharge EV charging points in up to 100 Waitrose locations across the UK by 2025. Each site is expected to have six 22kW and two 50kW rapid charging points so customers can charge their vehicles while they shop.
EV charging is expected to launch at the first Waitrose shop early next year and will represent Shell Recharge’s first move into “destination charging”, whereby customers charge their vehicle while it is parked at a location they are primarily visiting for another activity such as shopping. Shell’s ambition is to grow its Shell Recharge-branded network to 5,000 charge points on forecourts and other locations by 2025.
Bernadette Williamson, General Manager Shell UK Retail, said: “This is great news for EV drivers across the UK, knowing they can easily, quickly and reliably charge up at Shell charge points while shopping at Waitrose. We want to make EV charging as hassle-free as possible and support our customers wherever they want to charge.”
Waitrose Executive Director, James Bailey, said: “This is an important partnership for Waitrose and means we can offer even greater convenience to more of our customers. We’re also delighted to bring our customers 800 new charging points for electric vehicles, including new rapid charging capabilities, as the UK moves more and more towards a sustainable transport network.”
The companies have also reached an agreement to increase the number of Shell Select stores offering Waitrose food by a further 68 across the UK, bringing the total to at least 125 by 2025.
In addition, John Lewis’ Click & Collect service will be made available in as many as 80 new Shell forecourt shops this summer, which will take the total number of locations where the service is available in the UK to more than 1,000.
